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Forsentian Nobility
Nobility Overview The Forsen nobility is comprised of the old ruling familes from other nations, that have been forced to submit to the Forsentine Imperial Family. None of them are happy about it, and there's always secret plans and alliances, treasonous plots to bring down the Forsentines, plunge the empire into chaos, take power- everyone expects this. Everyone waits for it, in no small part because it provides a delightful show and fuels the empire's industries. Half the empire was built on grandiose plans by the ruling classes to dominate and get the better of their peers- it has been said that if someone at the top wasn't planning treason or to make a grab for power to destroy a rival, people would get worried that something was wrong. The Empress, of course, despises this, and is looking for ways to put an end to such destructive rivalries and practices, but that would require support from the nobles, and it's impossible to tell who's trustworthy and who's planning to fit her back for a knife. Causing further trouble are recent rumors that some nobles- maybe even whole families- in response to the Empress's crackdown, are turning to darker powers to devise a means of overthrowing her; or that some have been following such powers already for centuries, and calling in favors for the same purpose. Loyalty in these families is generally measured in how many people the Empress has not been forced to execute. Human Families The first nations conquered were those of Chetoban and Gyhart, which are run by the royal Adamtius clan. They are a large family, numbering some 200 individuals, all spread out across the empire. The current head is King Maximillian Adamtius V, an old and foul-tempered man trying to figure out which of his family is best suited to replacing him with his remaining years. There is a proud tradition in the royal family of producing bastards and financing institutions related to such pastimes, which is only passed up when affairs of state must take precedence over affairs of state. Though many members of the family are known to have more extreme hobbies and tastes, they are one of the most openly gregarious groups, one of the few that openly and actively works to promote friendly coexistence between races. These efforts are often derided by the other nobles as efforts to add to the family's options for evening companions; but always behind their back, and never to their faces. The banner of the Adamtius family is a flag with three uneven vertical stripes colored dark grey, light orange, and a glossy scarlet, with an emblem in the center of a golden chalice with a pair of rapiers crossed underneath. Adamtian soldiers' uniforms are reminiscent of 1700s British naval uniforms, but without the fancy hats, unrolled trousers, and boots. The state of Glaivun is ruled by the house of Issenel, which only counts some fifty-odd people. The Issenels used to be one of the larger groups, but many were executed by Her Imperial Majesty for treason and other unwholesome activities. The house is now led by Baronness Annette Issenel III, a very paranoid woman whose life is defined by desperately trying to keep her head. With so many of her family proven to be Infernalist heretics, she has lived in constant fear of being accused of similar heresies, and has very visibly dedicated her life to the worship of Tlazolteotl. This occasionally causes issues given the goddess's portfolio, but it has at least allowed Annette to keep her head. Glaivun under Annette's rule has not seen a lot of remarkable developments, save for the open racism she inflicts on the kampftier. All kampftier in Glaivun are subjected to harsh treatments, and after at least two years of suffering she offers them positions in her nation's military. Annette believes that by doing this, she gives the kampftier (whom she sees as lazy if not given motivation) a reason to get their lives in order and play to their racial strengths. House Issenel's banner is a solid greyish-blue standard with sandals under a recurved bow within a circle. Nobody has any idea what it stands for. Military uniforms are similar to those of the Adamtians, but with green blouses instead of blue and very fancy hats. The nation of Rewero is ruled over by the royal house of Isumbold. King Taras Isumbold, much like Baroness Annette, lives in constant fear of his life- not because his family has been reduced, but because he has always been a paranoid man at heart. The Isumbolds are famous for their mastery over naval warfare, but also for their inbreeding, wealth, and liberal usage of that wealth to protect themselves. They have always seen enemies hiding in the shadows: Heretics, racial supremacy groups, anarchists, usurpers. Sometimes it makes them seem religiously blind and heavily bigoted, but the Rewerans have long since learned that their lords do not judge and condemn for petty reasons- merely misinformed or crazy ones, and they often apologize when they learn that their paranoia has been misplaced. The nationals have learned to humor them publically and work around their neurotic behaviors, because at the end of the day the Isumbolds are mad but there are no better masters to have when war comes from the seas. The flag of the Isumbolds is three horizontal stripes of bright yellow, dark red, and pale orange, with a shark's mouth as the central emblem. Local uniforms tend to be simple black overcoats and grey pants, with officers wearing mantles attached to spaulders. The ducal Fortinuda family rules over the nation of Voquayl, one of the few nations that has any ability to perform farming operations. The Fortinudas have suffered many blows over the years- even Raina's predecessors would not abide by how many members of the house were discovered to be followers of the Sovereign of Carnality, and the house was all but eradicated on several occasions. The current Duchess, Lady Giselle, makes herself a very public follower of Aphrodite, insisting that she works to prove that not only is she unlike her predecessors, but that her faith exists to prove their twisted beliefs wrong. Her Ladyship's faith demands a great deal of social and economic inclusiveness and generosity, and she often spends time out and about working with her people, but these needs have made many rival families see Voquayl as weak and ripe for the dominating. To protect the few dozen remaining members of her family, Giselle has sent them to live in other nations, in the hopes that diplomatic immunity and foreign overseers will keep them safe. The Fortinuda duchy's banner is a light green flag, with a stylized cross symbol in the center against a shield. The uniforms worn by Voquayl's small military consist of knee-high boots, blue jeans, and green blouses with wide collars and the Fortinuda's crest sewn into the shoulders- similar in appearance to early US Union cavalry uniforms, but with berets instead of stetsons. The state of Yupevata is ruled by the Pereard gravry, and is notable for being one of the only nations that still makes heavy use of ground, seaborne, and airborne cavalries- they're the only nation that's had any real success in rearing and training animals. The Pereards have a long history of animal husbandry (the butt of many, many jokes) and they take great pride in their skills as cavaliers and their local knighthoods- the orders of the Misty Dawn, the Thornless Rose, the Gravewatchers, and the Wyvgard. The current Landgrave in charge of Yupevata is Archibald Pereard, an especially proud man who- unless stately affairs or security issues absolutely demand his attendance- refuses to ride anything but his loyal pegasus Renard. The Yupevatans, especially Landgrave Archibald, are often mistaken for luddites given that the most popular local religion is the following of the Martyr King, but most people overlook that they don't despise all technology- just modern transportation methods like cars and planes. The banner of Pereard is a swallowtail with eight stripes, alternating between sea green and violet, with a pegasus reared up on its hinds for the central emblem. Yupevatan soldiers often wear heavy armor with small, colorful mantles to denote rank, with helmets stylized to look somewhat medieval and knightly. The least powerful of the Human nobility are the Rasuls, who rule over the small nation of Ruzura. Count Eric Rasul's family has suffered the worst of the human families under the Empress's watchful eye. Not for any sort of wickedness but more for laziness. The Rasuls have a long history of being do-nothings that can only be bothered to actually do anything if there's an angry mob right outside their castle's gates. The Empress cannot tolerate such laziness, even if it has led to a fairly quiet culture that doesn't cause much trouble and polices itself pretty well, and young Eric has been learning the hard way that actually running a nation- even such a small state- is a difficult chore. Many rumors abound that, whenever he has the opportunity, he slips away from his duties to hide in the sleaziest brothels and opium dens he can find to unwind. This aggravates the Empress and her accountants, but the Ruzurans care a great deal for their Count, who might be lazy but is almost never unkind. The banner of Rasul is a swallowtail with two stripes, one dark green and the other light aqua, with a crescent moon hanging in the center. Because Ruzura is a very hot and arid region, uniforms are often somewhat Arabic in design- loose robes, turbans, and other comfortable clothes that don't insulate heat, and light armors underneath those. Dwarvish Families First and foremost among the dwarvish nobility is the Balman family, which rules the nations of Tyrzykasted and Biyonel. The current Grand Duke, Gregor Balman, is one of the few leaders who at least seems pleased with the Empress's crackdown. It's brought him to power, and displaced his siblings and parents- all of whom he had grievances with. Gregor was the black sheep of the family for his lack of 'traditional' Dwarvish behavior, being an eccentric gearhead of the highest caliber and a very excitable sort, not very concerned with traditions or even maintaining order unless necessary. And now he's in charge of his family holdings, and so long as he meets Raina's imperial requirements, he is allowed to invest his time and money into all sorts of grand magineering projects. The banner of Balman is a four-striped flag of bronze, dark yellow, violet, and burnt orange, with no emblem. Soldiers in the Balmans' employ tend to wear bronze-colored jumpsuits under medium armors; their uniforms are made less for formality and appearance and more for engineering functionality. The state of Favoge is ruled by house Osmani. The Marquis Ellis Osmani comes from a long line of geology specialists, their legacy of knowledge about the land and how it works dates back to well before the Armageddon Wars. This instills them with no small amount of pride, particularly since the largest silver and copper mines in the empire can be found on Favogian soil. Both of these are highly valuable metals, especially as the world continues to progress and such metals become increasingly valuable for use in machinery instead of just shiny pretty things. The value of these mines cuts the Osmani family quite a bit of slack, but the Marquis is nervous of his counterparts; especially the other Dwarven nobles, whom he fears are plotting against him. The only other families he trusts are the Fortinudas, the Kelmendi, and the Van-Meerwile's; these are the only families that Ellis is certain aren't out for his family's wealth, which makes them the only ones he trusts in dealing with on a regular basis. Subsequently, the only races he really puts much stock in are dwarves, draconids, humans, and citybound. The banner of house Osmani is an eight-striped flag of alternating grayish-green and umber, with a light blue triangle towards the right. Most of Favoge's soldiers are miners, so their uniforms reflect this- light armors with grey jumpsuits and mining helmets with lights in them. The Fejzullahi family trace their origins to a Rebel navy which disobeyed orders and fled the last battles at Telo-Haljr's Hennersburg ports. Beaching themselves on Gerdelon's western coasts, the admiralty's family went on to found the state of Ecuado, where they still rule as one of the Empire's vassals, along with their neighboring coastal nation of Katenby. The Fejzullahi are born mariners, and it shows in their strong naval traditions; though they have become extremely superstitious over the centuries. They believe allowing any other race besides fellow dwarves into the officer's corps is bad luck, refuse to sail of the skies are clear believing that it's a trap to lure them into storms, and that for safety's sake most of the kemono races, elves, and halflings should be forbidden from military service (for reasons which change from year to year); and gods help anyone serving on a ship that's run out of grog, it can cause a meltdown in a Fejzullahi officer. No single group has resisted the Empress's demands as much as the Fejzullahi, not necessarily out of disrespect but rather because they fear that abandoning their traditions will draw the wrath of the Gods. Despite this they are allowed to keep one of the largest cannons ever made, perhaps the largest currently in existence- the one built by Raina's late father, in the coastal city of Hasquil- though it no longer uses people for ammo. There is no single leader in the Fejzullahi family, they rule Ecuado as a council of some hundred and ten admirals. The banner of the Fejzullahi bears two stripes of black and blue, with a central emblem of the bow of a great ship made of bones. Fejzullahi sailors wear uniforms similar to those worn by the French in the mid-1900s, only dwarf-sized. The Poulsen royal family claims the state of Rolheim, whose gentle plains and rolling slopes hide an inordinate number of deep-crust mining operations. This is all that remains of the Poulsen legacy since the Empire was formed; digging deep and greedily, hunting for buried treasures and motherlodes. Aside from a couple hundred farming communities, run primarily by greatly respected and heavily guarded yentho, most of the nation's population lives underground. The Poulsens and their local population consider themselves the 'ideal' sorts of dwarves; quiet, orderly, adhering to strong and worthwhile traditions, obeying the laws, having a strong national work ethic, and making all sorts of beautiful things deep within their mines. Weapons, trinkets, baubles of all sorts, archaic and modern, some of the finest craftsmanship in Gerdelon comes out of their underground halls, and they are not above bragging. But the Rolheiman people are nervous these days of the Poulsens, with all the exposures of treasonous behavior and heretical worship in the noble families. The Poulsens are very private sorts, rarely speaking with or inviting anyone into their social circles. Might there be secrets that Lord Salvatore and his family are hiding? Or is it unnecessary worrying? The Poulsen's banner is a flag bearing three vertical stripes of bright red, grey, and green, with a central emblem of a crossed pickaxe and hammer. Like the Osmani military, their soldiers wear mining-related uniforms; though they favor heavy over medium armor. The Nicolau family rules the state of Jevantine, and is perhaps one of the least remarkable families. Which is just how Baron Vladimir Nicolau likes things. Nobody bothers the Nicolaus, few people even remember who's in charge most of the time. This is because of how the Baron has set up his little kingdom, a series of civilian councils and military tribunals and other sorts of intermediaries handle almost all the work which leaves him and the paltry remnants of his family time to plot their vengeance against the Empress. Many in the Nicolau house were discovered to be infernalists and, as such, swiftly put to the sword and the torch- the Baron maintains that while some of them were, more than half of those executed were merely spies working as part of a larger effort to cripple infernalist cults across the planet, and has sworn to have vengeance on the Empress for the lives she unnecessarily snuffed out. The flag of the Nicolaus is a pennant with nine stripes alternating between violet, dark blue, and yellow, with a central emblem made of a claws and a fire with radial symmetry. Nicolau's soldiery wears uniforms reminiscent of WW1-era Canada's, only yellow instead of brown. The Dimitridas barony is the only house that dominates three regions- all very small states, but still three of them- the nations of Lavor, Gretonnia, and Nexigias. The Dimitridas' legacy lies in engineering, specifically the construction of sturdy foundations and buildings that can actually weather Gerdelon's violent atmosphere. Freifrau Ottilie Dimitridas is quite proud of her family's achievements over the centuries, and even more proud of the fact that her family was spared by the Empress's purges; no Dimitridas was ever proven to be a follower of some twisted faith, and she has a bad habit of rubbing that into other families' noses. Such snobbish behavior has not won Ottilie, her family, or her nation many friends; but it's also given them a lot less worry about Imperial regulation and oversight, so they enjoy many freedoms. And their jealously guarded secrets of engineering and construction make them very necessary people around the empire, something that causes no end of aggravation for Ottilie's peers. The Dimitridas flag is three horizontal stripes of white, green, and orange with a central emblem of an anvil being struck by a hammer. Their soldiers wear armored engineering uniforms similar to the Balmans, but green and white. The only family decimated for reasons other than heresy were the Kovacas, who are in charge of the nation of Visuva. Seventeen years ago, the Kovacas dared open rebellion against the Imperial Crown, and in the ensuing struggle half of the nation's population was killed- they were outgunned, outnumbered, and outclassed on almost every level, and their so-called allies immediately denounced their efforts and refused to send aid. Though they were well prepared for the conflict, the Visuvans have more architects and miners than they do soldiers, and they only lasted for a matter of months. The nation is bitter about this crushing defeat, but the Kovacas have advocated that they should not be plotting vengeance for their losses- instead, the Earl Marlon plans to marry into the Imperial Family, and eventually have his descendants take control of it. The Kovacas' flag is a swallowtail with three stripes of light brown, black, silver, with a central emblem of a blazing torch. Their soldiers wear uniforms like the Osmani and Poulsens, but with silver colorations and light armors. The Farkas family, which rules over Quenacocce, barely survived the transition of power from old Lyudmil to Raina IV. They were among the few houses which actively got involved in the struggle for power in the Imperial ranks, and the only ones who supported the late emperor. For their troubles, devastation was visited upon the family and the mantle of leadership and the title of Count were forced upon young Jeremiah Farkas; barely old enough to be considered an adult. Count Jeremiah was well prepared by a lifetime of education for tackling the duties of being a head of state, but his youth has made him something of a joke amongst most of the other nobles. This has led to Jeremiah being very aggressive and fierce when dealing with his fellows, and sometimes with his own people and followers; but the Quenacians don't begrudge him this, in fact they rather admire him for how tough and strong he's been becoming, and how it's led to significant improvements in their local infrastructure and economy. The Farkas family's flag is a pennant with a solid dark green background, a diagonal bar of vibrant blue going from the bottom left to the top right, with no central emblem. Farkian soldiers' uniforms are similar to WW1-era Germany's, complete with pickelhaube, but blue instead of grey. Arguably the most successful of the dwarven families are the Simons, who rule over Mevull. Their success is owed largely to the Marchioness, Theresa Simon, who has been ruling the nation for the last hundred and fifty years. The Marchioness is a devout Universalian and a member of its Librarian branch, and many members of the Simon family are part of the Monastics, Librarians, and Hospitaller. Theresa makes it a point to involve herself and her nation as little as is physically possible in imperial affairs; which suits the Empress just fine. So long as dues and taxes of state are paid, Raina leaves the Simons more or less free to pursue their lives of religious contemplation and the collection and interpretation of lore and myth. Under Theresa's rule, Mevull has become one of the largest nations in the empire, boasting a high population as people of all races are welcome, as per the Temple's doctrines. But this does not mean they are the most peaceful and ideal society; they have always been struggling, as immigrants from other corners of the empire tend to bring their issues with them, so there is always work to be done sorting through bigotries, religious and economic mistrust, and political ambitions from rival houses within Mevullan society. The Simon family's banner is a square with seven stripes featuring pale shades of the primary colors, with an opened tome as the central emblem. Their soldiers wear very religiously toned uniforms, usually with heavy armor covered in scripture and holy words. Half-Breed Families The Giordano family are a mixture of Aasimar and Tieflings, the descendants of the Pharaonic deities Isis and Thoth, and several Abyssal demons, ruling over the state of Jagesu. Clear proof of infernal heritage in the family tree has, on many occasions, brought the Imperial family to tear the house's holdings apart from top to bottom to ascertain whether or not they're actually Heretics, but the appearance of Aasimar in recent years has done quite a bit to assuage fears that they are secret Infernalists- and added a lot of confusion, since most people didn't believe that Aasimar and Tiefling be part of the same family line. Viscount Orin Giordano, who shares Thoth's bloodline, has spent a lifetime working to prove that the Giordano's are trustworthy, but it has been a very slow road- the Tiefling outnumber the Aasimar by a significant margin, and with Raina in charge, mobs of angry peasants who fear the potential taint of the demonic have become an increasingly prominent issue. Were it not for the presence of Aasimar in the house, they may have been destroyed outright years ago. The flag of the Giordano family is a pair of vertical stripes, yellow and black, with a central emblem which resembles an arrow in flight. Their soldiers wear uniforms similar to Egypt's circa the late 1800s, complete with fez's. Governing the nations of Perjeny and Dirunull, the house of Karklins oversee some of the most feared people in the empire; the majority of the population is half-orcs, the descendants of free goblinoids who voluntarily swore fealty to the Imperial family. The first Karklins were pure-blooded hobgoblins, who had been part of an army bound to the Forsen family during the Wars, and once that conflict ended they were abandoned to their own devices for a couple hundred years, and built a small but terrifying country of ferocious warriors. When the Forsens found them again, they immediately regained the Karklins' loyalty, and helped to forge the Empire into what it is today. Even now they are unflinchingly loyal to Raina IV, and few could claim surprise that most of the Empress's personal army, the 309th Regiment, contains many blindly, fanatically loyal Perjenian and Dirunullen soldiers, who will follow any order she gives without hesitation. The Margrave-General Elena Karklin- one of the last pure-blooded orcs in Gerdelon- is less zealous than most of her subordinates, because it was she who helped to raise Raina while her father was off being mad as a hatter. Despite viewing non-goblinoids as weak, she has learned to be accepting of certain races- particularly humans, dwarves, kampftier, and lutrosa- and integrated them into her country's paramilitaristic society quite well. The banner of the Karklins bears three stripes of azure, pale brown, and crimson, with a raised fist as the central emblem. Their military uniforms are simple grey suits with large pockets, and high crown, wide rim hats with chinstraps. House Pjetraj, one of the two half-elven families, which controls the nation of Jucifi. Originally, Jucifi and Molewi were hidden elvish nations, but as the empire was forged most of the elves were either killed off or fled, ultimately leaving behind their progeny and a handful of holdouts to pick up the pieces. The house of Pjetraj was formed by democratic vote, and is currently led by Elector Argos Pjetraj. As is expected (almost demanded, really) of a nation whose population is mostly elves and half-elves, the Jucifians are skilled in the Arcane Arts, and their small nation boasts the finest academies for magical learning across the whole of the empire, some even say in the world. But, neither Argos nor the Jucifians in general feel particularly indebted or close to the other states within the empire- the elvish race and their half-breed ilk are often looked down upon for their long-sightedness and slowness to action, which is what got them conquered in the first place. Elector Argos has been trying to remove that public image, and replace it with one he feels is more appropriate- that the Jucifians are masters of magic, to be feared and respected; but the process is slow and arduous. The flag of the Pjetraj family bears seven vertical stripes, alternating between violet and gold, with a diagonal bar of bright red from left to right; the central emblem is arcane runes carved upon a mask. Their soldiers being mainly wizards, their uniforms are often militarized robes with deep pockets and pointy hats. The Farrugia family, which oversees Molewi, has fared much better than their friends in Jucifi. Where the Pjetraj focused almost solely on pure magic, the Farrugia family focused heavily on magitech. There is and has always been a huge demand for the ability to seamlessly mesh magic and technology, and Marquis Tarsen Farrugia has- for four centuries- been more than happy to provide. The Farrugia family encourages their subjects to be cooperative sorts, even in the face of the most wildly imaginative and psychotic bigots, because- barring war, plague, or accident- there's no reason to get mad at the shorter-lived races. They'll die sooner and their offspring will be more likely to see their forefathers for the fools that they are (or were). This is the Molewian solution to most problems- outlive it, it'll be gone before most of them reach old age, they're a sturdy and steadfast people, they can take it. Coming out ahead in the long run is far more important, and that is exactly what the Marquis plans to do- outlast his detractors, outlast the Empress; all he needs to do is outlive them and they'll yet get to see their better world come to life. The banner of house Farrugia is two stripes of dark green and light blue, with a central emblem consisting of three lit candles surrounded by coins. Their soldiers are often magineers, so they wear uniforms similar to the Pjetrajians, but they rely more on sorcerers than wizards, so there's fewer pointy hats. The higher the rank, the fancier the robes. Halfling Families The house of Duconti rules over the lands of Deltroh, following traditional Halfling behavior and employing themselves- and their kingdom- as various forms of intermediaries, accountants, and merchants. Duke Harford Duconti and most of the people in his nation wield no small amount of power and influence, but they don't flex it unless it is absolutely necessary to help keep the empire together. Though the Duconti's don't feel particularly indebted to the Forsentines, they do enjoy having huge troves of money and information at their fingertips, so they see no reason to change things.. Especially not as the Empress's rule promises the potential for greater wealth and subtle power. The banner of house Duconti is a gonfalon with three stripes of grey, light green, and burnt orange, with an emblem in the upper left of a half moon. Duconti soldiers wear bulky uniforms similar to those worn by the Chinese in the early 1910s. The Von-Tronche family calls the state of Chertrache its home, a rather bleak corner of the empire which suffers some of the worst excesses of weather in all of Gerdelon. Countess Miranda Von-Tronche has spent most of her life trying to find ways to beat the weather at its own game, using whatever magics and technologies she and her massive family (nearly one thousand members strong) can get their hands on. This has created an architectural landscape that is haphazard and somewhat insane to say the least, as new designs are engineered and new artifacts enchanted for the sole purpose of trying to conquer the storms and either render them harmless or, with a lot of luck, maybe even outright control them. Such projects demand that the Von-Tronches associate with a number of other noble houses and try to maintain good relations with them, which often causes a lot of trouble and has a tendency to delay projects for long periods of time as the Countess tries to keep everyone happy long enough to provide her with what she needs. The flag of the Von-Tronche's is an oriflamme with seven uneven stripes of alternating pale blue and fiery orange, with a crimson sword thrusting skywards in the center. Von-Tronche soldiers wear uniforms reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire circa WW1, only green. The old De-Bakker family controls the state of Kechnia, which has mostly moved underground in recent decades as it's one of the few safe places they can inhabit. Kechnia's closeness to Chertrache means that they catch quite a bit of their neighbor's nasty weather, and being at a geographically lower point means they suffer quite a bit of flooding during the monsoon season- it is hoped that, by using Dwarvish and Draconid subterranean engineering principles, they can finally beat this complication and focus on more important matters, such as producing all sorts of factory-made goods critically needed throughout the empire, and maintenance of one of the remaining hubs of the old Scyllan transcontinental subway system. Marquess Elena De-Bakker has, as other Halfling families have done, tried her best to keep relations with most of the other nobles as strong as she can, but as often as the nobility doesn't get along, she finds herself often caught between large, angry people demanding that she cater to them and not their opposition- a source of endless frustration and ways to creatively move goods without offending multiple parties. The flag of the De-Bakker family bears three stripes of yellowish-orange, crimson, and indigo, with a stylized cross made of joined hands. The De-Bakker's military favors WW1-style Russian uniforms with red patterns. The Montigent family oversees the state of Bellaie, near the territories owned by the Ryengo Empire. They used to rule other lands, but as the Montigent were the most skilled at diplomacy with foreign powers, Empress Raina decided it easier (and safer for all parties involved) to simply swap rulership of Bellaie from the Kelmendi family to the Montigent, and Vokage to the Kelmendi. While this has caused some level of upset amongst the civilians, the Montigents have been doing a fine job of winning over the peasantry's trust by appealing to the Draconid majority's natural instints for complex, grandiose designs, and the Kelmendi have learned to appeal to Halfling sensibilities about spending money on things that make life more comfortable and enjoyable, so it's an arrangement that has been working out quite well. The Margrave, Hector Montigent, has come to enjoy his new position. He is able to spend his wealth on projects that are entertaining and he is able to indulge in regular verbal and political sparring matches with Ryegan diplomats, all while his sizeable family continues to slowly grow, and his new holdings become more valuable. The flag of the house of Montigent bears three stripes of a yellowish-orange, bright red, and teal, with a central emblem of a coin held in an open palm. Montigent soldiers favor uniforms similar to the British army from the Napoleonic era. Other Families The Kelmendi family are the only remaining draconid nobility, ruling over Vokage after events described in the previous paragraph. Despite being in charge, Baron Duran Kelmendi is not the reason his family are the only draconid nobles to have survive- that honor goes to his numerous children, who handle almost all functions of administration. This isn't because the Baron is a lazy or wicked man but rather because he is hopelessly incompetent; well meaning but utterly incapable of performing his executive duties. Duran was never trained to be a leader, he was an artist- raised outside of imperial territory at that- and the only reason he ascended to take control of the barony is because, while he was away, most of the draconids ahead of him in the lines of succession were found to be members of various Infernalist cults, and those who were not slain in the Empress's purge vanished. Duran's life was only made harder once he was forced to change countries with the Montigent family, and were it not for the efforts of his sons and daughters he probably would have been removed from power entirely. With them handling almost everything he should be, he has been able to turn his efforts towards winning the mostly-halfling population over, which he has done quite well with various artistic projects that appeal to the Halfings' aesthetic traditions. The Baron's lack of political ambition is likely the reason he's on such good terms with the Osmani family. The banner of Kelmendi is a square with two diagonal stripes, one scarlet and one pale blue, with a central emblem of a rising sun and crescent moon within a star. The Kelmendi's troops wear uniforms similar to mid-1800s Mexico's, with scarlet and pale blue colorations. The Van-Meerwile family are one of the only houses made up primarily of kemono; the Van-Meerwiles in specific are mostly citybound, who rule over the nation of Levema. The Van-Meerwiles are one of the few houses that can safely say they are in the Empress's good graces- mostly because of the efforts made by Duchess Lillian Van-Meerwile toward their historical rivals and hated enemies, the Bartolets- rumors suggest that this was more due to fear than an actual desire for peace, given the animosity that has existed between the two families since before they were part of the empire. For their part, the Van-Meerwiles considered the Bartolets savages; barbaric slavers whose rash and violent behavior was a threat to their nation. Even after being made part of the empire the two families have been quarreling, dueling, and skirmishing back and forth. At least, until Empress Raina demanded that they put aside their petty grievances for the sake of strengthening the empire- refusal to comply, of course, would mean 'promotions' all around. So, on behalf of her family and country, the Duchess has been trying, through gritted teeth and clenched fists, to get along with her ancestral foes. Relations are still shaky at the best of times. The banner of the Van-Meerwile family is a swallowtail with two stripes, one umber and one silver, with no emblem. The Van-Meerwiles' military forces wear 19th century Peru-style uniforms. The house of Bartolet claims dominance over the state of Auluban, only a stone's throw from Levema. Unlike his counterpart in the Van-Meerwile family, Marquis Julius Bartolet has resisted the Empress's demands that the two houses make peace. In the eyes of the Marquis and his all-kampftier family, the Van-Meerwiles are weak, and cowardly- they contribute so little in terms of manpower or production compared to Auluban, they possess no greatness worthy of note, they are- in the eyes of the Bartolets- unfit to rule, and their continued presence as part of the ruling class only serves to weaken the empire. Rumor has it that the Marquis seeks for a means of finally removing the Van-Meerwiles despite the Empress's demands, through sabotage and assassination, but that all such endeavors have been thwarted from within. This has made the Marquis somewhat paranoid of those around him; not to the extent that it plagues the nation, but it places a considerable amount of stress on the Bartolet family, as everyone is watching everyone else for signs of disloyalty and treachery. While this has not reduced Auluban's military contributions to the empire, it has almost significantly weakened their production industries, as foremen and supervisors are frequently required to conduct lengthy, thorough, and costly investigations into all activities to watch for signs of Van-Meerwile saboteurs. The flag of Bartolet is a solid bronze background with a sword set against a mountain as the central emblem. The Bartolet's soldiers favor uniforms similar to the Van-Meerwiles', but with bronze colors. The house of Elstome, ruling over Yugran, are rare in that they are one of the only instances of kelthid actually being in a position of authority within a nation. The Elstomes and their kelthid subjects held out longer than any other nation did when the Forsen Empire began its rapid expansion, but were ultimately subsumed into it along with the rest. Since then, the Elstomes have been model subjects- they are well aware that their alien nature could give their fellows cause to attempt extermination at any moment, and as such try to keep their tentacled noses out of trouble whenever possible, speaking only when necessary. This has given them a reputation as either cowards or schemers amongst most of the other noble houses, until a war shows up most people forget the powers that Illithid actually wield and presume that the Yugranian kelthid are a bunch of weaklings plotting to get their 'prey' into the right position so they can indulge themselves in a grand brain feast. This is not the case, but the lack of public socialization has not done much for their reputation nonetheless. If at all possible, they prefer to keep to themselves and fulfill the quotas required of their nation without incident, and that goes double for the Emir, Josvitchazk Elstome. The banner of the Elstome family is a circular flag divided into three portions, colored red, purple, and blue, with a fish-like emblem in the center. The Elstome's uniforms are similar to the Kelmendi's, but with little psionically levitated spaulders and colors that match the flag's. Finally there is the family of Stillstone- or more accurately, just Stillstone. Dominus Stillstone is a mechanoid, and technically has no family to call his own, only a handful of friends that are part of his Network. He rules over the nation of Synovakia with a literal iron fist- he is harsh and demanding but he is fair and rewards those who strive to be as diligent and efficient in the course of accomplishing their duties as he is. Synovakia was one of the only nations that joined the Empire of its own free will, as one of the early Forsens had become part of Stillstone's Network, and this by extension means that all of the Imperial family is part of his Network. Having helped to raise Empress Raina and most of her predecessors, he considers Raina his only true success as far as assisting in child-rearing and upbringing goes- she is fierce, dominant, aggressive, straightforward, and just; if he had tear ducts, the old warbot would be liable to cry tears of pride at how she has matured and taken the reins of power. The Dominus and his subjects are considered the most loyal members of the empire, and the most efficient when it comes to deconstruction and recycling of garbage into new useful things. Only recently, at Raina's behest, did Stillstone adopt a flag- it is identical to the Imperial family's, save for the Imperial Rose being replaced with an closed, gauntleted fist. Stillstone's armies favor dark green WW1-style Italian uniforms. The Forsentine Empire Back to Main Page